Maria Echaveste

Recent Articles

When May rolls around, the people who work in the Bush White House Scheduling Office know it's time to show Hispanics that the president cares about this growing community. And for the last three years, the Bush White House has invited Latino leaders from across the country (or at least those who support this administration) to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on the White House lawn. For those who wonder if there's something more to this day than the tequila and beer industries' marketing efforts, Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday celebrating the victory of a Mexican army over a much larger French army in 1862. In the United States, however, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in this country -- especially in the Southwest -- as an occasion for cultural affirmation and ethnic pride. So why does President Bush use the majesty of the White House for a party celebrating a relatively obscure Mexican holiday? It should come as no surprise that a celebration of Mexican heritage is all about politics,...

Yesterday the president proposed a massive new temporary program for undocumented workers living and working in the United States. The proposal would allow these people (and future foreign workers) to live and work in the country for a three-year period -- with another three-year extension if specific jobs are available to them at that time. Is this good news for undocumented workers? Hardly. I'll explain why in a moment. But first, let's take a look at George W. Bush's track record on immigration. It's been two years since the president last spoke about immigration policy. He has been noticeably silent about two bills currently pending before this Congress regarding the illegal workforce in this country: AgJobs, which would provide a path to legalization for farmworkers (in an industry where 60 percent to 70 percent of the workforce is illegal) and streamline the guest-worker program to make it easier for employers to bring in future workers, and the Dream Act, which would help...